by Deon Meyer
The author, Milla Strachan, who is rumoured to be living on a farm between Philippolis and Springfontein now, has granted no interviews since the publication of A Theory of Chaos.
Die Burger, 6 December 2010
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My sincere thanks and appreciation to:
• My wife, Anita, for her support, patience, comments and advice.
• My agent, Isobel Dixon, and editor, Nick Sayers, for their invaluable wisdom, insight, feedback and encouragement.
• My brilliant (and very patient) translator, Laura Seegers.
The very long list of people who shared their expertise in the research
process:
• Louis Liebenberg (tracking - and the permission to quote his wonderful The Art of Tracking so widely).
• Clifford Lotter (flying and what it means to be a pilot, the RV-7, the radio language of the air, and the flight over the Karoo).
• Dr Douw Grobler for insight into rhinos, their diseases, and especially the treatment of rhinos in transit.
• Nicola van der Westhuizen (for making the Mercedes 1528 available, and information on the documentation for movement of game).
• Oom Joe van Wyk and Oom Ben Bruwer for all the Karoo stories.
• Ex-policeman Boet Claassen and Johan Visagie of George Fivaz and Associates, who conduct their private investigations in a way that Mat Joubert would have approved of.
• My brother Francois Meyer and the Golden Arrow Bus Company (for everything about the industry, but especially DRMP technology).
• Deon duToit, senior manager of Corporate and Product Security at De Beers, Marlene le Roux, Christo van der Rheede, Arthur Murray in Durbanville, Elna van der Merwe, Peet van Biljon, Carike Pepler, Captain Elmarie Engelbrecht and Irma Prinsloo.
I also acknowledge the following sources:
• Africa Geographic Magazine
• 'Organised crime: A study from the Cape Flats', Andre Standing, Institute for Security Studies, 2006
• 'Is South Africa really the world's crime capital?', Antony Altbeker, Institute for Security Studies, 2006
• Crime and Policing in Post-apartheid South Africa, Mark Shaw, c. Hurst & Co, London, 2002
• 'Organised Crime in South Africa', Stratfor Global Intelligence, www.stratfor.com, 17 July 2008
• 'Organised crime in the SADC region: Police Perceptions', Peter Gastrow, Institute for Security Studies, 2006
• 'The social contradictions of organised crime on the Cape Flats', Andre Standing, Institute for Security Studies, 2003
• 'Organised Crime and Terrorism: Observations from Southern Africa', Charles Goredema, Institute for Security Studies, 2005
• 'A Review of the Health Issues of Captive Black Rhinoceroses (Diceros Bicornis)', Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, Patricia M. Dennis, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACZM, Julie A. Funk, DVM, PhD, Paivi J. Rajala-Shultz, DVM, PhD, Evan S. Blumer, DVM, R. Eric Miller, DVM, Dipl. ACZM, Thomas E. Wittum, PhD, and William J. A. Saville, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM, 38(4): 509-517, 2007
• 'The Religion of the Market', David R. Loy, Journal of the American Academy of Religion 65/2
• South African Special Forces, Robert Pitta, Osprey Publishing, 1993
• 'Tracking: Combining an ancient art with modern policing', Kotie Geldenhuys, Servamus, 2005
• 'Personality characteristics of South African navy divers', C. Van Wijk, A. H. Waters, Department of Psychology, Institute for Maritime Medicine, Simon's Town, South Africa, 2001
• 'Zimbabwe: Soldiers Are the New Illegal Diamond Miners', 20 January 2009, http://allafrica.com/stories/200901200817.html
• 'Diamonds Are a Tyrant's Best Friend', Business Report, 8 December 2002, http://globalpolicy.Org/security/issues/diamond/2002/l211 dia. htm
• Die Burger
•
GLOSSARY
7de Laan: A very popular Afrikaans daily soap opera, broadcast on SABC 2, watched by more than 2 million people.
Absa: One of South Africa's biggest banking groups, an acronym for 'Amalgamated Banks of South Africa'.
AIC: Agent in Charge
AIS transmitters: AIS is an acronym for 'Automatic Identification System', which allows ships at sea and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) to locate and identify maritime traffic. The transmitter on each ship broadcasts a unique signal.
ANC: African National Congress, the ruling party in South Africa.
Alhumdulillah: An Arabic phrase, meaning 'Praise to God'.
Amaphoyisa: IsiZulu for 'police'. (South Africa as 11 official languages: Afrikaans, English, IsiNdebele, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, SiSwati,Tshivenda, Xitsonga. Township slang (see below) transcends all 11.)
Amasimba: IsiZulu for 'shit'.
Asseblief: Afrikaans for 'please'.
Ay: Expression widely used by all South Africans (also spelt 'Ai'), wistful, similar to English 'tsk-tsk'.
Beeld: Afrikaans daily newspaper published in the northern part of the country (Translation: 'Image').
Berea: A suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa's biggest city.
Bergie: Cape Flats Afrikaans for a homeless person, often a vagrant, living on the side of Table Mountain (berg = mountain). (Cape Flats slang refers to the Afrikaans spoken on the Cape Hats, a vast area east of Cape Town, where the majority of 'Cape Coloured' people reside. 'Coloured people' refer to the descendants of Malaysian slaves in South Africa (forced migration by the Dutch East India Company), who intermarried with white farmers and local Khoi people - as opposed to Blacks (descendants of the Bantu people) and Whites (descendants of European settlers).)
Blaas: To shoot someone. Literal translation: To blow. (Afrikaans.)
Bliksem: Mild expletive. Literal translation: Lightning. (Afrikaans.)
Boetie: Afrikaans for 'little brother'.
Bo-Karoo: The Karoo is a vast semi-desert region in central-west South Africa. 'Bo' means 'upper' or 'high', and refers to a specific mountainous part of the Karoo between the towns of Fraserburg, Loxton and Beaufort West, almost 1,000 meters higher above sea level than the Beaufort West plain to the east. (Afrikaans.)
Braai: Afrikaans for 'barbecue'.
Broederbonders: Literal translation: Bond of Brothers. A secret society of white Afrikaner elite during Apartheid. (Afrikaans.)
Bru': Short for 'brother' (as in bro'). (South African English.)
Bywoners: Share-cropper. (Afrikaans.)
Chlora: A woman of mixed race, a so-called Cape Coloured woman. (Cape Flats Afrikaans slang.)
Community Outreach Forum (CORE): A cynically named association created by Cape Rats drug lords.
Caltex: A petroleum company and chain of gas stations in South Africa.
Flipit: Mild expletive, used as an acceptable alternative for 'fuck it'. (Afrikaans.)
FIR: An acronym for 'flight information region'. An aviation term used to describe airspace with specific dimensions, in which a flight information service and an alerting service are provided.
Fokken: Afrikaans for 'fucking', as in 'that fucking guy ...'
Herta Erna Street: A residential street in Durbanville, a northern suburb of Cape Town.
Hhayi!: IsiZulu for 'No!'.
Sistela: IsiZulu for 'pistol'.
Isela: IsiZulu for 'thief'.
Ja: Afrikaans for 'yes'.
Jeso: IsiXhosa for 'Jesus!'.
Jinne: Afrikaans for 'good grief!'
Jirre: Cape Flats Afrikaans for 'God!'
Jissis/Jissie: Mild Afrikaans expletive, similar to English 'jeez'.
Kan ek met Shaheed Latif Osman praat, asseblief?: Afrikaans for 'May I speak to Shaheed Latif Osman, please?'
Kaningi: IsiZulu for: a lot; frequently; many times; often.
Karoo: A vast semi-desert region in central-west South Africa. (Source of the word uncertain, believed to be of Khoi origin, meaning 'land of great thirst'.)
KFM: Popular music radio station in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Khuda hafiz: Arabic, a Muslim greeting meaning 'may God protect you'.
Klippies: Afrikaans for 'stones' or 'small stones', often used to refer to diamonds.
Ko' le ma': From a traditional Cape Malay song, in Cape Flats Afrikaans. It means: 'Come, and lie down' (sexual intent).
Koot: Afrikaans mild expletive, similar to English 'Gawd!'
Kraal: An enclosure for livestock close to the homestead on farms. (Afrikaans origin - from Old Dutch - but widely used by all language groups in South Africa.)
Kungaba: IsiZulu for 'maybe'.
Kungani: IsiZulu for 'how come?' or 'why?'
Kwaito: A music genre very popular amongst young black people in South Africa, defined as 'house music combined with local African sounds', it resembles hip hop.
Kwa-Zulu: One of South Africa's nine provinces, Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Landbou Weekblad: Farmers'Weekly magazine. (Afrikaans.)
Lapa: The word originates from Sesotho and refers to an area next to the hut where cooking is usually done. The area is traditionally protected against the elements with reeds or a high fence of wood and grass, and is where the family gathers (lelapa = 'family' or 'household' in Sesotho). The word was borrowed by Afrikaans to typically mean an enclosure built specifically to entertain friends at a barbecue.
Lekker: Afrikaans word widely used for anything that is 'good', 'delicious', 'tasty'.
Mahhala: IsiZulu word meaning free; gratis; for nothing; without charge.
Media 24: A massive media group in South Africa, owning newspapers, magazines, satellite television and Internet assets.
Mhoroi: Shona (language spoken in Zimbabwe) for 'Hi / how are you?'.
Moer me? Translation: 'Hit me?' 'Moer' is a wonderful, mildly vulgar Afrikaans expletive, and could be used in any conceivable way. Its origins lie in the Dutch word 'Moeder', meaning 'Mother'. 'Moer in' means 'to be very angry', but you can also 'moer someone' (hit somebody), use it as an angry exclamation ('Moer!', which approximates 'Damn!'), call something or someone 'moerse' (approximates 'great' or 'cool'), or use it as an adjective: I have a 'moerse' headache -1 have a huge headache.
Moer toe: (See above).Translation: 'Dead and gone'. (Afrikaans.)
Nazo-ke: IsiZulu for 'right you are!; that's it!'.
Ndeipi: Shona for 'what's new?'
Nhedzi soup: Shona for the popular and delicious Zimbabwean traditional dish, made with wild mushrooms.
NIA: (South African) National Intelligence Agency.
Nkwenyane: Sesotho for 'little tiger'.
Oke: Slang (South African English) for 'guy'.
Oom: Respectful Afrikaans form of address to a male ten or more years older than yourself. Means 'uncle'.
Ou maat: Afrikaans for 'buddy'.
Ouboet: Afrikaans diminutive for 'older brother', but mostly used as 'buddy'.
Ousus: Afrikaans diminutive for 'older sister', but mostly used as an endearment to a female friend or family member.
PE: Port Elizabeth, a coastal city in the Eastern Cape Province.
POCA (Prevention of Organised Crime Act): Legislation passed in South Africa in 1998 - Prevention of Organised Crime Act, 1998 (Act No. 121 of 1998). It introduced measures to combat organised crime, money laundering and criminal gang activities and provided for the recovery of the proceeds of unlawful activity by the State.
Poort: Afrikaans for 'gateway', 'entrance', or 'pass', often refers to natural gateway between two hills or mountains.
Rag Week: South African universities have a student carnival early in the academic year (usually February) to raise money for charities, called Rag (English) or 'Jool' (Afrikaans).
Rand: The South African currency - about RIO to the Euro and R7 to the US $.
RL: The Bedford RL was the British Military's main medium trunk (1953-72) with four-wheel drive.
RSG: The national Afrikaans radio station.
SADF: South African Defence Force.
Sadza: Shona word for thickened porridge made out of any number of pulverised grains. The most common form of sadza is made with white maize (corn) mealie meal, and usually enjoyed with meal stew.
SAPS: South African Police Services.
Sarmies: Slang for 'sandwiches'.
Se ke: Sesotho for 'Don't!'
Shawwal: Arabic - the tenth month of the lunar Islamic calendar.
Shiv: Prison slang for any sharp or pointed implement used as a knife.
SOLAS (The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea): An international maritime safety treaty concerning the safety of merchant ships.
Sommer: Afrikaans for 'no particular reason', 'just' or 'merely'.
Spoor: Afrikaans for 'track', the mark a wild animal leaves in the bush.
Sterkte: Afrikaans for 'have strength', or 'be strong'.
Sukkeling: From the Afrikaans 'sukkel', 'having trouble with', as in 'I am having trouble with this exam paper'. (Slang form.)
Sup: Abbreviation of the police rank Superintendent.
Tannie: Respectful Afrikaans form of address to a female ten or more years older than yourself. Means 'aunt' or 'auntie' (also see 'Oom' above).
Tatenda, my friend. Fambai zvakanaka.: Shona for 'Goodbye, my friend, go well.'
Thiba: Sesotho for 'Stop!'
Tik: A highly addictive drug, methamphetamine, also knows as 'meth' or 'crystal meth'.
Umdali: IsiXhosa for 'My God!'
Veld: Afrikaans for natural African bush vegetation, usually savanna grass and thorn trees, can also refer to grazing, field, or hunting ground.
Velskoen leather boots: Raw-hide shoes. (Afrikaans.)
Venda: A small area in the north-eastern corner of the Limpopo province in South Africa, amidst the Soutpansberg (mountain range) where the Venda people live.
Verstaan jy Afrikaans, Ouboet: 'Do you understand Afrikaans, bro'?' (Afrikaans.)
Xhosas: The Xhosa people of South Africa, who traditionally lived in what is now the Eastern Cape province. About 8 million Xhosa live across South Africa today.
Yebo: Township slang for 'yes'.
Yoh-Yoh: Township slang for 'good grief'.
Table of Contents
BOOK I: MILLA
BOOK 2: LEMMER
BOOK 3: MILLA
BOOK 4: MAT JOUBERT
BOOK I: MILLA.. 5
1. 6
2. 8
3. 10
4. 12
5. 13
6. 14
7. 15
8. 16
9. 18
10. 20
11. 21
12. 23
13. 24
14. 26
15. 27
16. 29
17. 31
18. 33
BOOK 2: LEMMER. 34
19. 35
20. 36
21. 37
22. 39
23. 41
24. 42
25. 44
26. 46
27. 48
28. 50
29. 52
30. 54
31. 56
32. 58
33. 59
34. 61
35. 63
36. 65
37. 67
38. 69
39. 70
40. 72
41. 73
42. 74
43. 75
44. 76
45. 78
46. 80
47. 81
48. 83